


like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun

by SJAandDWfan



Category: Faking It (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, F/F, I really love wicked okay, Wicked production, and gelphie, and karmy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-01-21 23:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1567178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SJAandDWfan/pseuds/SJAandDWfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU in which Amy and Karma only sort-of know each other, but Amy still has a crush on Karma, and Karma still has no idea. They get cast as Elphaba and Glinda in their school production of Wicked, and Amy has to keep up with homework, rehearsals and her growing feelings for Karma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Announcement

**A/N: Okay, I decided to go ahead with the AU!School Production fic, partly because I’m procrastinating and putting off studying for my exams *ahem***

**So for this fic, Karma and Amy aren’t best friends, but they kind of know each other (like they share a few classes in my head), and Amy still has a crush on Karma, who doesn’t know about it. Also, for the purposes of this fic, and usual casting for school productions, I’ve changed their ages slightly**

“Amy,”

It was Karma. The girl stood right in front of her, close enough for Amy to feel the heat radiating off her. They were at school, the end of their shared math class, and Karma had caught her afterwards, asking about a problem she’d been struggling with.

“I – I thought it was a math problem you needed help with…” Amy breathed, eyes flickering between Karma’s and her lips, already having trouble focusing due to their proximity.

Karma smiled deviously, inching closer, and Amy almost forgot how to breathe.

“Well,” she started, “it’s sort of a math problem. You see, I’m trying to figure out the answer to a particular sum, and I think I know the outcome but I want to be sure,”

“Oh?” and really, it’s a miracle Amy even managed to say that much, because Karma was _still_ getting closer and closer, and Amy could count the number of miniscule freckles dotting the bridge of her nose.

“Mmhmm,” Karma continued, “see, the question I wanna know the answer to is as follows; you, plus me, plus _this_ ,” and then Karma leaned in the rest of the way, and Amy couldn’t hear anything over the thumping of her own heart and -

**BEEP BEEP BEEP**

Amy woke with a jolt, eyes snapping open and immediately focusing on the offending alarm clock. It had only been a dream. In one swift motion, she reached out and grabbed the alarm clock, flinging it across the room to silence it.

Amy sighed, and pulled the covers up over her head, groaning in frustration. That made three times in the last week she’d had that dream, and three times in the last week she’d woken up just before Karma kissed her.

She groaned again, louder, when she realised today was Monday. If it had been any other Monday, Amy would be figuring out a way to bunk off school; fake an illness or something and spend the day watching Netflix on her laptop. But it wasn’t just any other Monday. Today was the day where they announced this year’s school production, and Amy was finally going to audition. She was a junior now, and had spent her freshman and sophomore years watching the productions solely because Karma had a part in both of them. One time, during last year’s “Hairspray” in which Karma had played Amber, she’d caught Amy’s eye onstage, and had kept eye contact for longer than strictly necessary as she was singing. Amy had blushed and looked away, focusing on the bag of skittles clutched in her hand.

But not this year. This time, Amy was going to be part of the show. Shane, her best friend, had been trying to get her to audition every year. (“You have a fantastic voice, Amy, and I know how well you can act. I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to show that talent off!”) He was going to kill her if she didn’t show up for school today. Well that, and the fact that she was his ride to school. With that thought, Amy threw the covers off and climbed out of bed.

After a quick shower, Amy towelled herself dry and pulled on a random shirt with a cartoon cat on it (she tried to remember why she’d bought it, she really did) and a pair of skinny jeans. She emerged into the kitchen for breakfast, only to find her soon-to-be stepsister Lauren occupying the toaster. Amy rolled her eyes; Lauren, a senior and obviously thinking this fact made her better than everyone else, was standing in front of the toaster, blocking it, eating her (wholemeal, low-fat light unsalted buttered) toast with a smug expression on her face.

“Excuse me,” Amy said, trying her hardest to be polite, “could I get to the toaster?”

Lauren cocked her head to the side, feigning ignorance “What’s the magic word?”

“Could I get to the toaster, you vindictive harpy?” Amy deadpanned.

Lauren’s face turned to thunder, and she stormed off, probably to find her precious ass of a daddy. Amy smirked, and put a couple of slices of bread into the toaster. Today felt like a good day.

 

…..

 

It was breezy outside, being October, so Amy grabbed a jacket before she left for school. Hopping into her car, Amy started the engine, driving the five minutes to Shane’s house to pick him up. Her best friend, despite being fully able to drive, didn’t yet have a car. His parents had promised him one on his seventeenth birthday, but that was in April, so until then Amy had offered him a lift to school.

Shane was without a doubt her best, and quite possibly only, friend. She _knew_ other people, and she was friendly to them, sure, but there was no-one she trusted like Shane. He was, after all, the only person who knew about her crush on Karma. Amy remembered when she’d told him about her crush; he had hugged her, told her it was going to be okay, and that she could definitely do worse. He hadn’t asked her about whether it made her gay or bi or pan or whatever, and Amy still wasn’t sure she liked the idea of labels anyway, so she’d just accepted that she, Amy, liked a girl, Karma.

Shane, on the other hand, fully embraced the “gay” label, stating that as he was sexually and romantically attracted to boys and boys only, that’s the label that made him feel like he had a home. That was one of Amy’s favorite things about Shane; even though he felt comfortable with a label, he understood that not everyone wanted one.

“Hey there,” Shane said, opening the passenger side door.

“Hi,” Amy smiled at him, “how was your weekend?”

He shrugged, dark eyes glinting, “Pretty average. Are you still going to audition?”

Amy laughed; Shane always got straight to the point.

“Yes, I’m still planning on it, as long as Karma’s auditioning too,”

Shane rolled his eyes good-naturedly, “Come on, I know you’ve been seduced by the world of theatre as much as you have been by the world of Karma,”

Amy laughed again as she put her car in drive, and pulled out of Shane’s driveway. Okay, so maybe she _did_ like musicals, and the Hester High productions were actually really good, so maybe Karma wasn’t the only reason she was auditioning. And she was as eager as everyone to hear which musical had been picked.

 

…..

 

“Good morning everyone,” Penelope, their principal, greeted them at assembly. The student body quietened down, waiting for the notices to begin. As it was Monday, the whole school were in assembly, before each year group had a separate assembly later in the week.

“Now I know everyone here is eager to find out what musical Hester High is going to be performing in the March of next calendar year, so I’ll invite Miss Cooke of the drama department up here to finally reveal it,” Penelope said, gesturing for a young woman with flyaway blonde hair and glasses perched on the end of her nose up to the front. A slightly over enthusiastic typical drama teacher, Miss Cooke was nonetheless one of Amy’s favorites.

“Right,” Miss Cooke began, clapping her hands together once to make sure she had everyone’s attention, “As you know the last few productions have included ‘Hairspray’, ‘Fame’ and ‘Grease’, and this year we’ve decided to go for something a little more recent. Actually, it’s still on its original Broadway run,”

Beside her, Shane gripped Amy’s arm, eyes wide with anticipation. Amy tried to pretend like she didn’t feel like doing the same thing.

“The musical we’re going to be doing is called ‘Wicked’,” Miss Cooke said, and that’s all she was able to say before the entire student body started whispering and chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

Shane squealed excitedly, “Oh my God, it’s everything I could’ve hoped for and more,” and Amy had to agree. While she’d never been to see the musical before, she knew the basic plotline, and had heard and loved “Defying Gravity” like every other mentally sane person. She was actually really excited, and turned to Shane with a big smile on her face.

Shane suddenly gasped.

“What?”

He then got a terrifyingly big smile, and Amy became concerned for her own wellbeing.

“What is it?” she asked, with more trepidation.

“You should audition for Elphaba!” he exclaimed.

“Wait, what?” Amy said, “As in Elphaba, one of the leads, with the ‘Defying Gravity’ and the being lifted up in the air? _That_ Elphaba?”

Shane nodded, “Absolutely, I’ve heard you sing a million times, all the songs are within your range, and we can work on your breath control so you can hold the long notes,”

Before Amy could protest further, Miss Cooke was calling for their attention again. She went through a brief synopsis of the musical – which Amy already knew thanks to Shane – and a list of the characters people would be able to audition for. Amy’s eyes automatically found where Karma was sitting with her friends, and she couldn’t help but wonder what part she’d be auditioning for. As if reading her mind, Shane leaned over and whispered “I think she’d make a remarkable Glinda,” and Amy smiled, seeing what he meant. She could already imagine Karma flouncing around to “Popular”, wearing the blonde wig and the pink dress. It was actually quite scary how Glinda-like Karma was anyway.

Penelope read out the rest of the notices, but nobody was listening, and as soon as they were dismissed, many made a beeline for the news board, where a sign-up sheet had already been posted. Shane and Amy held back, waiting for the swarm to dissipate somewhat.

When they could actually see the sheet, Shane thought for a moment before putting his name down next to ‘The Wizard’.

“You’re not auditioning for Fiyero?” Amy asked.

Shane shook his head, “Nah, I can’t dance very well. I’d much rather be the Wizard,”

He handed her the pen, and Amy took a deep breath before looking at the twenty or so names already next to ‘Elphaba’.

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she said quickly, “there are already a lot of people and I don’t really think I’d make a good Elphaba anyway and just how much of your body do they cover in green?”

Shane laughed lightly, “C’mon, you’re not getting cold feet on me now are you?”

“Well actually-“

Amy cut herself off when she noticed Karma was approaching, her voice dying in her throat. Karma was alone now, having left her friends behind to sign up, and oh God she was getting so close that Amy could smell her perfume. Karma smiled warmly at her and Shane before taking out a pen and putting her name down next to ‘Glinda’. Shane shot her a look that said ‘I told you so’.

Karma turned to Amy when she had taken an audition piece.

“What are you auditioning for?” she asked, noticing the pen in Amy’s hand.

Karma Ashcroft was speaking to her, somebody send help please. Amy opened her mouth, fully intending to speak, but nothing came out. Saving her, or sealing her fate (whichever way you wanted to look at it) Shane jumped in.

“She’s auditioning for Elphaba,”

“Cool,” Karma said, smiling at her again, “Maybe I’ll see you at auditions,”

Amy nodded mutely, managing a small smile in return. She knew Shane was silently laughing at her and she kind of wanted to slap him.

“Well I have to get to History now, so I’ll see you guys around,” Karma said, motioning down the hall, “Good luck at auditions Shane, you too Amy,”

And she left.

Amy let out a breath, finally able to speak again.

“Shut up Shane,” she said.

“I didn’t say anything,” Shane raised his hands defensively, shaking with laughter.

Amy sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Guess I’d better put my name down then,” she said, defeated, and Shane grinned like a Cheshire cat, knowing he’d won.

As she wrote ‘Amy Raudenfeld’ next to the other names by ‘Elphaba’, Amy couldn’t help but feel excited. What if she _did_ get the part, and Karma got Glinda? Trying and failing to hide a smile, Amy took an audition piece, and saw the audition song was one she hadn’t heard before.

“’The Wizard and I’ is your audition song?” Shane read the title over her shoulder, “Well, at least it’s not as hard as ‘No Good Deed’,”

Amy nodded dumbly, and Shane tutted at her.

“After school, we’re watching the OBC YouTube clips of all the songs and listening to all the recordings, okay?”

“What does OBC mean?” Amy asked, confused.

“Original Broadway Cast, duh,” Shane looked at her like she’d fallen from the sky, “we’ve really got to educate you before this audition, haven’t we?”

 

**Okay, please let me know what you think. I’m planning on doing about eight chapters for this fic, and I’ve planned most of it out so I’m really looking forward to continuing it if that’s something people want. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it so far!**


	2. The Auditions

**Me again. I have my Spanish speaking AS exam today (I’m British), so I’m writing this to take my mind off my nerves, and by the time I’ve finished and posted this, it’ll be over and done with.**

**Update: It is and it went ok, but this week is very busy for exams…ahhhh**

**Couple of things I forgot to mention… if you hadn’t already guessed, the title of the fic is taken from “For Good”, the duet Elphaba and Glinda sing near the end of the show. If you haven’t listened to it, go do it now; it’s absolutely beautiful.**

**Also, let’s pretend that the whole cast are really good actors and singers (I know Katie/Karma is amazing, but I’m not sure how big her range is, so we’ll just say it’s huge okay?)**

**Also disclaimer: I don’t own Faking It, any of its characters, or Wicked (although I kinda really wish I did)**

**Oh, songs in this chapter (that I’ll include lyrics for – they’ll all be done at some point) are: “A Sentimental Man” and “The Wizard and I” so I recommend listening to them if you’re unfamiliar with the songs. Lyric-wise, I’ve gone with the OBC soundtrack, but I know there are sometimes variations.**

“I can’t do it, I actually can’t do this!” Amy whispered sharply as she drove Shane into school on a Saturday afternoon. Shane, who was checking his hair in his mirror, scoffed at her.

“Of course you can, Amy,” he said, “you sang it for me and you nailed it.”

Amy gripped the steering wheel tighter, “But it’s not gonna be you in there, is it? It’ll be teachers, and they will have heard so many great people already, and I’m just scared okay? I’m allowed to be scared before an audition, right?”

“Of course you are,” Shane put a comforting hand on her knee, “I’m nervous too,”

“Really?” Amy quickly glanced at Shane’s composed face, his calm body language before returning her eyes to the road, “You don’t look nervous,”

“I’m keeping my nerves locked up, and when I get to that audition, I’ll release them in the form of a beautiful song,” Shane said earnestly, “but my stomach is like a butterfly mosh-pit right now,”

Amy laughed, relaxing a little as they approached the entrance to the school. In truth, while she _was_ terrified of getting into the audition and opening her mouth with no sound coming out, for the last week her mind had been conjuring up infinite, much more positive, possibilities. Ones of blowing Miss Cooke away with her talent, and being given the part of Elphaba. Of acting opposite people like Shane and Karma. Of holding Karma’s hand as they brought the house down with their performance of “For Good”.

She exhaled as the car drew to a stop.

“Ready?” Shane asked her.

Amy nodded, “Yeah, actually. I am.”

 

…..

 

“Karma!” Shane said as soon as he walked into the auditorium at the far end of the school campus. This room was huge; it seated about five hundred people, and the seats all faced a vast stage, painted black for the moment (though it had been known to get a white/cream coat of paint as show week approached). About a hundred people were already sat in the seats, clustered in friendship groups and shooting each other nervous glances. Amy whipped her head around to see Karma waving at them from where she was sitting, then get up and make her way towards them.

“Hey guys,” she greeted them, and Shane stepped forward and hugged her. Amy hung back awkwardly, opting instead for a smile and a small wave. “How are you both feeling?” Karma continued, “Y’know, singing in front of all these people?”

“Wait, what?” Amy said, forgetting her shyness around Karma in a sudden panic.

“Yeah, Miss Cooke decided it would bring us all closer as a potential cast to hear each other sing. Don’t worry, the acting call-backs are more private than this,” Karma said, reassuringly, but Amy couldn’t quite take it in. She turned to Shane.

“I was right, I really can’t do this,” she said, eyes wide.

“Yes you can, Amy! Think about it, we’re all in the same boat here, everyone has to sing in front of all these other people, so nobody’s gonna boo you off the stage or anything,” Shane said soothingly.

Amy bit her lip worriedly, and all of a sudden Karma had a hand on her arm. Amy locked eyes with Karma Ashcroft, and the flight instinct weakened.

“Everyone here is scared, so you’re not the only one feeling this, okay?” she said gently, “And if you don’t think you can cope just look at me or Shane and we’ll support you,”

Amy breathed again, nodding. “Thanks,” she said, speaking directly to Karma for pretty much the first time. The other girl smiled warmly at her, before Miss Cooke called for the first auditionee.

Turning to go back to her friends, Karma threw over her shoulder, “Or you could always imagine the audience in their underwear, that always helps me!”

Amy almost choked on her breath as Karma walked away, Shane shaking in withheld laughter. Before she could recover, Shane was pulling her down into a seat as the first person auditioning for Nessarose went up on stage. With a dull surprise, Amy recognised the girl as Lauren. She said her name and Miss Cooke and another teacher (the conductor of the band, Shane informed her), checked their paperwork and told her to begin whenever she was ready.

As Lauren sang one of Nessa’s parts from a song Amy remembered as “Dancing Through Life” – Shane had in fact shown her those OBC recordings – she had to admit, her future step-sister had a nice voice. And she was really bitchy, so she stood a chance of getting the part. Smirking to herself, Amy didn’t realise Lauren had finished her audition to a round of applause from the waiting auditionees, and suddenly the next girl was going up on the stage.

After the ‘Nessa’s, the next part they called for was ‘Doctor Dillamond’, and then ‘Madame Morrible’, and after that it was ‘Boq’, and all these went by in a blur for Amy as her nerves returned in full force. One of the girls auditioning for Morrible had literally broken down in the middle of her song, and Amy was considering that as a very real possibility for her own audition.

After all the people auditioning for ‘Boq’ had been, Miss Cooke called, “All auditionees for ‘The Wizard’ to backstage please,” and Shane turned to Amy, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” he smiled at her, rising from his seat to join the other nine or ten guys going for the part. Amy twisted her hands in her lap, glancing – out of habit, really – to Karma. What she wasn’t expecting was for Karma to look up at her. Blushing furiously, and cursing her pale skin, Amy looked away, but not before she caught a hint of a smile on the girl’s face.

She was distracted from her embarrassment, however, when Shane walked onstage, a nervous smile on his face.

“I’m Shane Harvey,” he said, coming to a halt at the front and centre of the huge stage.

Miss Cooke told him to start whenever he was ready, and Shane took a few deep breaths before cueing the start of the track. His song – one of the two this character sung – was called “A Sentimental Man”, and Amy had heard Shane sing it at least twenty times. It wasn’t long; there was only about a minute of singing in it, but it was enough to show them what he could do.

The first note played, and Shane opened his mouth and began:

_I am a sentimental man,_

_Who always longed to be a father._

_That’s why I do the best I can_

_To treat each citizen of Oz a son or daughter._

_So, Elphaba, I’d like to raise you high,_

_Cause I think everyone deserves the chance to fly._

_And helping you with your ascent_

_Allows me to feel so parental._

_For I am_

_A sentimental man._

Hearing Shane sing that song sent shivers down Amy’s spine. He was just so _good._ His voice was smooth, and he reached the high note in the song with ease. She clapped fiercely along with everyone else, and Shane grinned directly at her, relief evident on his face.

Miss Cooke thanked him, and asked for the next person as Shane jumped down off the stage and flopped down beside Amy again.

“That was amazing,” she whispered in his ear, giving her best friend a one-armed hug, “you should definitely get the part.”

“I have to get a call-back first, remember?” Shane said, smiling nonetheless.

Together, they watched the rest of Shane’s rivals, and then all of the fifteen or so auditionees for Fiyero.

“How many do you think they’ll call back?” Amy asked in between auditions.

Shane shrugged, “Not sure. I think it’ll depend on the part, but maybe two or three?”

The next boy walked onstage and someone in the audience wolf-whistled. Amy turned to the stage to see a good-looking guy, with a lot of height to his hair, standing easily with a confident smile on his face. Liam Booker.

Amy didn’t know him personally, but she knew _of_ him, specifically, of his reputation as a womanizer. Shane once told her Liam was alright, but that he wasn’t exactly someone who could be trusted. He was popular, and many considered him the hottest guy in the school. He usually got the lead in musicals, too, as he was actually a really good actor, and he could sing and dance well.

Amy didn’t really like him. It may have had something to do with the fact that she’d once overheard Karma saying he was hot, it may not have.

He sang his audition, the first part of “Dancing Through Life” – a common audition song today for its array of parts – with all the charm and charisma a Fiyero should have, and Amy grudgingly admitted he was very talented. He was probably a dead cert for Fiyero. None of the other auditionees came close to him, bar one or two. Damn.

The second-to-last part auditioned for was ‘Glinda’, and Amy’s nerves temporarily lessened due to her interest rising. In the unlikely event of her getting Elphaba, Amy wanted to know what kind of people she could be acting opposite.

Most of the girls were okay, singing the really quite high-pitched part of “No One Mourns the Wicked” that Glinda sang. A couple were truly quite awful, if Amy did say so herself, but there were a few standouts.

Amy’s heart almost stopped beating in her chest when Karma stepped onto the stage.

“Hi, I’m Karma Ashcroft,” she said, once onstage, and she got the nod to begin.

As the opening notes of the music played, Amy could see Karma steeling herself, relaxing her shoulders and taking a deep breath before singing.

She was incredible.

Whereas some had struggled with the high song, Karma reached the notes with ease, and while nobody could touch Kristin Chenoweth in the department of the highest of high notes, Karma came the closest of everyone.

After she finished, Amy was the first one to start clapping, blushing yet _again_ as Karma offered her a grin from the stage.

 

…..

 

“All auditionees for the part of ‘Elphaba’ to backstage please,” Miss Cooke announced, holding up her clipboard. Fighting the urge to throw up, Amy got shakily to her feet and joined the other twenty girls behind the stage. She’d be the last one to audition as her name was the last on the list.

After listening to the torture of twenty amazing singers (to her anyway), Amy finally heard the dull thunk of her own footsteps as she walked across the stage to stand in the middle. Trying to control her shaking, she addressed Miss Cooke, trying to ignore the whispers and giggles of the theatre regulars.

“Um, hi, I’m Amy Raudenfeld,” she said, eyes darting away to find Shane in the audience. Relaxing slightly when he gave her a thumbs-up and grinned reassuringly at her, Amy took a deep breath and nodded to cue the song.

_Did that really just happen?_

_Have I actually understood?_

_This weird quirk I’ve tried to suppress or hide,_

_Is a talent that could_

_Help me meet the Wizard,_

_If I make good._

_So I’ll make good._

The song started off slowly, thank God, and Amy – as Shane had told her – tried to act the part as well. She looked down at her hands, trying to imagine she was Elphaba. That she’d gotten a chance to make good, and Amy was filled with a certain hope. The music picked up into its main tune as she carried on, looking up at the audience.

_When I meet the Wizard,_

_Once I prove my worth._

_And then I meet the Wizard,_

_What I’ve waited for since, well, since birth._

_And with all his Wizard wisdom,_

_By my looks he won’t be blinded._

_Do you think the Wizard is dumb?_

_Or like munchkins so small-minded? No!_

_He’ll say to me “I see who you truly are,_

_A girl on whom I can rely”_

_And that’s how we’ll begin,_

_The Wizard and I._

A smile started to form on Amy’s face. This was actually kind of exhilarating. Looking around to all the shocked faces staring at her, Amy felt a certain satisfaction. Those idiots, who had snickered as she’d walked onstage, were now looking extremely surprised. Frankly, it just made her want to sing better, and Shane was wearing the same smug expression Amy felt inside.

_Once I’m with the Wizard,_

_My whole life will change._

_Cause once you’re with the Wizard,_

_No-one thinks you’re strange!_

_No father is not proud of you,_

_No sister acts ashamed._

_And all of Oz has to love you,_

_When by the Wizard you’re acclaimed._

_And this gift or this curse,_

_That I have inside,_

_Maybe at last I’ll know why,_

_When we are hand in hand,_

_The Wizard and I._

Locking eyes with her future sister and revelling in the gobsmacked expression on Lauren’s face, Amy quickly glanced around her before walking forward like she’d seen some of the Elphabas do in the videos Shane showed her, smiling nervously.

_And one day he’ll say to me, “Elphaba,_

_A girl who is so superior._

_Shouldn’t a girl who’s so good inside_

_Have a matching exterior?_

_And since folks here to an absurd degree_

_Seem fixated on your verdigris,_

_Would it be alright by you_

_If I de-greenify you?”_

_And of course that’s not important to me,_

_“Alright, why not?” I’ll reply._

_Oh, what a pair we’ll be,_

_The Wizard and I._

_Yes, what a pair we’ll be,_

_The Wizard and…_

Breaking off as she was supposed to, Amy was relieved her “Alright, why not?” had gotten a laugh from the audience. Good. She could do funny. Knowing that the song was about to get a whole lot more challenging, Amy looked off into the distance, trying her best to create the right effect. She had no idea how she was measuring up to everyone else, but damn it this was so much fun. She could barely feel her nerves at the moment.

_Unlimited,_

_My future is unlimited._

_And I just had a vision,_

_Almost like a prophecy._

_I know it sounds truly crazy._

_And true, the vision’s hazy._

Mentally preparing herself for the extremely long note that was to come, Amy planted her feet and tried to recall Shane’s advice, bringing her shoulders down and looking dead ahead. She caught Karma’s eye, and saw the other girl was staring at her in disbelief, with a slow smile forming on her face. Butterflies in her stomach – Amy didn’t think it was all because of the note – she hoped for the best.

_But I swear someday there’ll be_

_A celebration throughout Oz,_

_That’s all to do_

_With me!_

_And I’ll stand there with the Wizard,_

_Feeling things I’ve never felt._

_And though I’d never show it,_

_I’d be so happy I could melt!_

It was crazy. She managed it, but it was a close call, and Amy gasped before the next line. She heard some whoops from the audience as she sang “melt”, having borrowed Rachel Tucker’s signature riff, which had captivated her the first time she’d heard it. Reminding herself there was still quite a lot of belting left in the song, Amy came to the front of the stage, ready to blow everybody else out of the water. It was incredible; she was a completely different person.

_And so it will be for the rest of my life,_

_And I’ll want nothing else till I die._

_Held in such high esteem,_

_When people see me they will scream_

_For half of Oz’s favorite team!_

_The Wizard_

_And I!_

Everyone erupted into applause as Amy tried to catch her breath. Suddenly, the immense confidence she’d felt when performing had disappeared, and she was left as a small girl on a very big stage. Saying a quick “thank you” to Miss Cooke and the other teacher, Amy climbed down from the stage and walked quickly to Shane, who enveloped her in a massive bear-hug.

“That’s the best I’ve ever heard you sing it!” He whispered in her ear, pulling back with wide eyes, “You’ve been holding out on me, Raudenfeld!”

Silence fell as Miss Cooke rose from her seat and announced there’d be a half-hour break while they decided who to call back, so everyone could go get a late lunch or catch up. As she and her companion left the room, Amy became aware of a fast-approaching Karma.

“Oh my God!” she said as soon as she reached Amy, “Where have you been for the last two years?”

Amy just about died and went to heaven right then. Karma was complimenting her! _Keep it cool, Raudenfeld,_ she thought.

“Um, the audience?” her mouth said.

 _Yeah, real cool. Well done,_ her mind congratulated her mouth. Luckily, Karma laughed, before congratulating Shane on his audition too. Amy stood there, reeling, as the events of the last ten minutes caught up with her, and she fought the sudden urge to crack up at the absurdity of it.

 

…..

 

“Called back for the part of ‘Nessarose’ are Kate Jones and Lauren Cooper,” Miss Cooke said, amidst the clapping that had exploded. The two girls in question walked onto the stage, eyeing each other warily. After the call-backs for Dillamond, Morrible and Boq had been announced, it was the turn of the Wizard. Shane gripped her hand tightly.

“Called back for the part of ‘The Wizard’ are Finn Winters, Shane Harvey and Peter Young,” said Miss Cooke, and Shane breathed a sigh of relief as Amy squealed. Actually squealed in delight. God, the theatre was already changing her.

The nerves were returning as, to nobody’s surprise, Liam got a call-back for Fiyero, along with a couple of other guys that Amy remembered as having sung well. Shane had told her repeatedly that she’d get a call-back, and so had Karma, but she was still starting to feel the terror again.

Miss Cooke spoke again, “Called back for the part of ‘Glinda’ are Karma Ashcroft-“ Amy’s stomach leaped- “Lisa Cohen and Nikki Watson.”

Karma walked onto the stage with the other Glindas, wearing the biggest smile Amy had seen on her. All eyes turned once again to Miss Cooke, waiting in anticipation.

“Called back for the part of ‘Elphaba’ are,” Miss Cooke paused, and Amy silently begged her to get it over with, “Natasha Richards, Jenny Coates,”

Amy shut her eyes, mentally preparing herself for disappointment.

“And Amy Raudenfeld.”

All the breath escaped her in a single gasp. Her eyes flew open, and she breathed again in relief as she got up and made her way to the stage. Shane beamed at her as she took her place beside Natasha and Jenny. Karma unexpectedly sent her a wink from where she was standing, making Amy’s breath catch in her throat. Was Karma _trying_ to give her heart palpitations? Right. Words. Miss Cooke was saying words.

“I trust all of you have prepared the dialogue?” everyone nodded, “Okay then, we’ll test the Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero trios first then.”

Amy suddenly noticed that everyone who hadn’t been called back had left. When did that happen?

“As you all know, Elphaba should have great chemistry with both Fiyero and Glinda,” Miss Cooke continued, “and it doesn’t hurt Glinda and Fiyero to have some chemistry either but we won’t test for that today.”

One by one, the Elphabas and Fiyeros were paired up. Amy ended up with Jamie to start with, a tall guy with dark blonde hair. He was nice, and talked to her quietly as the other pairs went through their audition scene, the conversation Elphaba and Fiyero have when freeing the lion cub.

Finally it was their turn, and after that Amy was paired with Sam, a boy with dark shaggy hair and a sullen expression, but he sang extremely well. Amy could feel that there was no chemistry there whatsoever. Lastly, she took the turn with Liam. She didn’t like him, but Amy tried her best to forget that particular fact and just act.

Liam had the first line.

“Why is it that every time I see you, you’re causing some sort of commotion?” he questioned.

“I don’t cause commotions,” Amy said defensively, then: “I _am_ one.”

“That’s for sure,” Liam said quickly, turning and walking away from her.

“Oh! So you think I should just keep my mouth shut, is that what you’re saying?” Amy said irately, Liam turning back around and attempting to cut in.

“No, I’m-“

“Do you think I want to be this way?” Amy asked angrily, getting faster and faster as Liam strode towards her, “Do you think I want to care this much? Don’t you know how much easier my life would be if I didn’t?”

“Do you ever let anyone else talk?” Liam interrupted, causing Amy to fall silent for a beat.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, quieter, before saying, “But can I just say one more thing?” Liam nodded, “You could have just walked away back there.”

“So?” Liam shrugged, his tone becoming defensive.

“ _So,_ ” Amy spelled it out for him, “no matter how shallow and self-absorbed you tend to be-“

“Excuse me,” Liam butted in, quite close to her now, “there’s no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow,” he said smugly, idly examining an outstretched hand.

“No you’re not,” Amy stated simply, “or you wouldn’t be so unhappy.”

Liam’s eyebrows shot up, “Fine, if you don’t want my help…”

“No, I do!” Amy amended, walking away to pretend to examine a cage. She crouched down with a worried expression on her face, “Poor little thing. Its heart is trembling… I didn’t mean for…”

“What did you mean to do?” Liam asked, gentler now, “why was I the only one you didn’t do it to?”

Ignoring his question, Amy stood back up, walking back over to him.

“Oh look, you’re bleeding,” she noted, “it must have scratched you.”

She gently reached her hand out.

“Yeah,” Liam said quietly, “or maybe it scratched me.”

He blinked as Amy’s hand made contact with his cheek, jerking away after a beat of tension, “I better get to safety,” he frowned, running his words over in his head, “I mean the cub… get the cub to safety…”

Amy laughed to ease the tension, nodding as he walked off.

“Fiyero,” she sighed.

Everyone clapped them as the scene ended, the fact that she was being judged coming back to her. Liam nodded to her, silently admitting it had been a good match, and Amy forced a smile back. No matter how well he could act – and it was very well, judging by the scene just now – she still didn’t trust him.

Next to read were the Elphaba and Glinda pairs. The audition scene was the part just before “Popular”, when the two had just started to get along. Amy had good chemistry with both of the other girls, but she couldn’t wait to see how they compared to Karma. Finally, she got her chance, and Karma smiled reassuringly before starting the scene.

“Your very first party ever?!” she asked excitedly, “Your very first party?” Amy nodded bashfully at this, “Oh I know! Let’s tell each other something we’ve never told anyone,” Karma said, moving closer to Amy, “I’ll go first: Fiyero and I are going to be married!”

Karma squealed in excitement, and Amy – despite being in character – couldn’t help but think how suited to this part she was.

“Really?” she asked, “He’s asked you already?”

“No, he doesn’t know yet,” Karma said nonchalantly, eliciting a laugh from the people watching, “Now you tell me a secret.”

“Like what?”

“Like… why do you always sleep with this funny little green bottle under your pillow?” Karma pretended to hold one up, and Amy immediately lunged for the non-existent object.

“Give that back,” she demanded.

“C’mon, tell me! Tell me, tell me!” Karma pleaded, holding the pretend bottle out of reach so Amy could feel the heat coming off her body as she finally pretended to snatch it back.

“It was my mother’s, that’s all…” she said firmly.

There was silence for a few seconds, broken by Karma’s quiet, “It’s not fair. I told you a really good one.” Again getting a laugh. She really was excellent.

“My father hates me,” Amy admitted after a pause. Karma gasped. “No, that’s not the secret.” She shook her head, surprised when a few people chuckled.

“It’s my fault…” she said softly.

“What is?” Karma was confused.

“That my sister is the way she is,” Amy paused, knowing this was when Elphaba probably chose to trust Glinda (well, she was G _a_ linda at this point), “You see, when my mother was carrying Nessa, my father was worried that the new baby might come out…”

“Green,” they both said, and Amy nodded, looking down at her hands.

“So he made my mother chew milk flowers, day and night. But that made Nessa come too soon, with her little legs all tangled. And my mother… never woke up.”

Amy paused, collecting herself as her voice cracked slightly on the last word. “None of which ever would have happened if not for me.”

“But that was the milkflowers’ fault, not yours,” Karma said, placing a hand on Amy’s shoulder, “That may be your secret, Elphaba, but that doesn’t make it true.”

They stayed silent for a few seconds, before Karma said in mild surprise, “Oh look, it’s tomorrow!”

Stepping away from her slightly, Karma said, “Elphie,” and then gasped delightedly, “do you mind if I call you Elphie?”

“Well,” Amy pulled a face, “it’s a little perky.”

This pulled a laugh from everyone watching, no doubt at Amy’s face.

“And you can call me… Galinda,” Karma grinned, “So, Elphie… now that we’re friends, I’ve decided to make you my new project!”

“You _really_ don’t have to do that,” Amy said.

“I know,” Karma stated simply, “that’s what makes me so nice!”

Everyone clapped, and the two finally allowed themselves to break character. Karma smiled at Amy, who smiled back dumbly, and didn’t really register much else after that.

 

…..

 

The cast list was posted the following Monday, and Amy and Shane braved it together. Amy started from the bottom, reading the names. Some kid called Tom Jeffries had got Dillamond, and a girl named Alayna Martin was playing Morrible. Truthfully, Amy had no idea who they were.

She saw that Lauren had indeed got Nessarose. Amy wasn’t sure if she’d have been more hell to live with if she hadn’t got the part, because she was going to be pretty damn impossible from now on. Some boy called Oliver had got Boq. Amy vaguely remembered him as a cute boy with dark hair and large glasses. Good for him, he’d seemed nice.

To her delight, Shane had got the Wizard, and Amy quickly scanned the lead three names.

Fiyero – Liam Booker. No surprises there.

Glinda – Karma Ashcroft. Amy’s stomach clenched with anticipation. Was it too good to hope for, too good to be true? She exhaled noisily, and dared herself to look at the last – or first, whichever way you wanted to look at it – name on the list.

Elphaba – Amy Raudenfeld.

 

**Thank you guys so much for your patience, I know it’s been a while since the first chapter, but I tried to make it up to you in length! Seriously, this is probably the longest chapter for something I’ve ever written; it’s getting on for 5000 words.**

**Anyway, I thought since I mentioned Rachel Tucker (who I am a little bit in love with) and for those who don’t know was the West End’s longest running Elphaba, I’d put a link to a video of her singing “The Wizard and I” at the Oliviers in 2012. She’s incredible, and beautiful, and I love the detail she puts into even her fingertips.**

**Here’s the link:<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbltjtbPjx0>**

**Not sure if it’ll work on ff.net and AO3, so the channel is CarlaHamersley and the video was posted about 2 years ago** **J**

**Hopefully it won’t be too long before the next chapter, probably sometime next week. Once again, thank you!!!**


	3. The First Rehearsal

**Again, sorry it’s taken so long, I make promises I can’t keep and so on. I started this chapter and then just lost inspiration completely. Hopefully it’s back, and you guys will enjoy it and bear with me.**

**Songs in this chapter are: “No One Mourns the Wicked”, “Something Bad” and “As Long As You’re Mine”**

**Disclaimer: I don’t own Faking It or Wicked, sigh.**

The morning of their first Saturday rehearsal, nearly a week after the cast list went up, Amy walked into the school’s auditorium with Shane by her side and the libretto in her hand. She’d read the script as soon as she’d picked it up from the drama office, and had promptly gone through her songs with the instrumental CD Miss Cooke had  given her, the exhilaration still fresh. Now, she was standing by the stage on which she was going to perform in about five months’ time. She still couldn’t quite believe it.

Not wanting to be late, she’d driven to Shane’s house early and physically dragged him into the car with his hair half-done. They’d ended up being early and only a few people were already there. Amongst them was Miss Cooke, who came up to Amy and Shane with a huge smile on her face.

“Welcome, my darlings!” she said excitedly, “Are you ready for this to completely consume your life until March?”

Amy was taken aback at how Miss Cooke never skipped a beat. She nodded quickly and Miss Cooke smiled at her, picking up on her nerves.

“Don’t worry, Amy,” she dialled back the manic enthusiasm that Amy wasn’t quite used to dealing with, “It’s still plenty of time.”

 

Shane gently took her by the elbow and led her over to sit down a few rows from the stage. Partially to distract herself and partly because she was actually interested, she asked Shane what he thought of the casting.

 

Shane cocked his head slightly to one side, considering the question.

“Well, first of all I think they cast Elphaba wonderfully,” he said, and Amy grinned and swatted at his arm playfully, “and Karma as Glinda was a no-brainer. Liam… well, while I’m not sure if he’s trustworthy on a personal level, he was undoubtedly the most talented guy for that part.”

 

Amy nodded, reluctantly agreeing that Liam was good, however much she resented him for that one swooning comment Karma had made about him.

 

“Lauren as Nessa  will go one way or the other, I think,” Shane said, “depends how you two work together. I have a feeling she’s going to eat poor Oliver alive” he glanced over at the boy who was playing Boq, sitting slightly awkwardly by himself.

 

“And what about the Wizard?” Amy asked teasingly.

 

Shane just smiled smugly at her. “Perfect casting right there,” he said.

 

One by one people began to arrive until the whole cast had assembled and was seated. Miss Cooke stood in the middle of the stage and welcomed them all to the first of many rehearsals, warning them how taxing it would be, especially closer to the show. But she told them she hoped it would be fun too, and they were going to start by learning the opening number.

 

“As most of you may know, the first song is called “No-one Mourns the Wicked”. It’s sung by Glinda and the ensemble, and it’s about celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, also known as Amy over there. Give us a wave!” Miss Cooke exclaimed.

 

Mortified, Amy raised her hand weakly, feeling the eyes of everyone on her.

 

Miss Cooke carried on, “So first of all we’ll have a listen to the track and then I’ll start teaching you the parts. I believe sheet music is being passed out as we speak.” She scanned she crowd, and sure enough, spotted a stack of paper making its way across the auditorium.

 

Once everyone had a copy, she walked over to the CD player and pressed play.

 

…..

 

By the third rehearsal a week later, the song had been learnt. It would improve, Miss Cooke told them, but Amy thought it sounded good already. They had only run the whole song through once with the backing track, and now they were going for it a second time, with Karma holding a microphone for her solo parts, so that she could actually be heard above the rest. Amy and Lauren, amongst others, were sitting this particular song out in the show, but Amy liked to hum along under her breath.

 

As the opening notes to the song were played, Amy felt a thrill go through her. She already really loved the instrumental parts of this musical. As the “Unlimited” theme sounded, Amy caught herself swaying almost imperceptibly, and then the pace picked up, and at just over a minute into the song, Miss Cooke cued the ensemble in.

 

_Good news!_

_She’s dead!_

_The Witch of the West is dead!_

_The wickedest witch there ever was,_

_The enemy of all of us here in Oz_

_Is dead!_

_Good news!_

_Good news!_

“Look, it’s Glinda!” Jake, one of the chorus members, shouted. Members of the ensemble had been given a line here or there, and this was one of those lines.

 

“It’s good to see me, isn’t it?” Karma said, smiling winningly. The ensemble made general noises of agreement, and Karma said, “No need to respond, that was rhetorical,” and Amy had to supress a giggle.

 

“Fellow Ozians,” Karma said, and then began to sing.

 

_Let us be glad, let us be grateful._

_Let us rejoicify that goodness could subdue_

_The wicked workings of you-know-who!_

_Isn’t it nice to know that good will conquer evil?_

_The truth we all believe’ll by and by_

_Outlive a lie,_

_For you and…_

“Glinda!” An ensemble member interrupted, “Exactly how dead is she?”

 

“Well,” Karma became serious, “there has been much rumor and speculation… innuendo, outuendo… but let me set the record straight. According to the Time Dragon Clock, the melting occurred at the thirteenth hour; a direct result of a bucket of water thrown by a female child. Yes, the Wicked Witch of the West is dead!”

 

The Ozians cheered at this, then the singing started again. One sang:

 

_No one mourns the wicked!_

A freshman girl sang the next line:

 

_No one cries, they won’t return!_

The whole chorus joined in:

 

_No one lays a lily on their grave._

Again, a soloist was picked out:

 

_A good man scorns the wicked!_

Three or four girls were given the next line:

 

_Through their lives our children learn_

The ensemble came together again:

 

_What we miss when we misbehave!_

Karma took over again, her voice sweet to Amy’s ears:

 

_And goodness knows the wicked’s lives are lonely._

_Goodness knows the wicked die alone!_

_It just shows when you’re wicked,_

_You’re left only on your own._

The chorus echoed, the music swelling:

 

_Yes, goodness knows the wicked’s lives are lonely._

_Goodness knows the wicked die alone!_

_Nothing grows for the wicked._

_They reap only what they sow._

“Glinda, why does wickedness happen?” someone asked.

 

“That’s a good question; one that many people find confusifying,” Karma said, and Amy smiled at the characters strange vocabulary, “Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them? After all, she had a childhood. She had a father, who just happened to be the governor of Munchkinland.”

 

Here, the boy playing Frex (Amy thought his name was Tim or Tom or something like that) stepped apart from the other chorus members with the girl playing Melena, Elphaba’s mother. Amy knew it would be vastly different when they blocked the scene properly; this was meant to be low-key at this stage.

 

“I’m off to the assembly, dear,” Tom/Tim said, and then started to sing:

 

_How I hate to go and leave you lonely._

The girl playing Melena reassured him:

 

_That’s alright, it’s only just one night._

Tom/Tim continued:

 

_But know that you’re here in my heart_

_While I’m out of your sight._

With that, the music changed as Frex would exit, becoming very upbeat. Shane stepped forwards, ready to sing his bit as the “lover”.

 

Karma observed, “And like all families, they had their secrets.”

 

Shane sang:

 

_Have another drink, my dark-eyed beauty,_

_I’ve got one more night left here in town._

_So have another drink of green elixir,_

_And we’ll have ourselves a little mixer._

_Have another little swallow, little lady,_

_And follow me down._

“And of course, from the moment she was born she was… well… different!” Karma said, and Amy remembered this was meant to be the birth of her character. What would they use? A green baby doll, perhaps.

 

“It’s coming!” a Midwife said.

 

“Now?” Tim (he looked more like a Tim, Amy decided) asked, panicked.

 

“The baby’s coming!”

 

“And how!”

 

The Midwife sang:

 

_I see a nose._

Tim carried on:

 

_I see a curl._

They both sang the next bit together:

 

_It’s a healthy, perfect, lovely little…_

They both broke off into a scream, having presumably just seen the baby.

 

“What is it?” Melena asked worriedly, “What’s wrong?”

 

The Midwife sang:

 

_How can it be?_

Tim followed this line almost immediately, the music turning sour:

 

_What does it mean?_

The Midwife was horrified:

 

_It’s atrocious!_

Tim as Frex agreed:

 

_It’s obscene!_

Again, they both sang the next bit together:

 

_Like a froggy, ferny cabbage,_

_The baby is unnaturally…_

_Green!_

The Midwife would here offer the baby to Frex, but for now they left that action out.

 

“Take it away,” Tim said coldly, then louder, “Take it away!”

 

As the music picked up again, Karma spoke with empathy and pleading in her voice.

 

“So, you see, it couldn’t have been easy!”

 

The Ozians ignored her, launching again into the hook of the song:

 

_No one mourns the wicked!_

_Now at last she’s dead and gone!_

_Now at last there’s joy throughout the land._

On top of the next part, Karma sang some unintelligible high notes right at the top of her range, as the ensemble continued.

 

_And goodness knows we know what goodness is._

_Goodness knows the wicked die alone!_

Karma interjected almost sadly:

 

_She died alone!_

 

The Ozians carried on regardless:

 

_Woe to those who spurn what goodness is._

_They are shown…_

_No one mourns the wicked!_

Karma sang:

 

_Good news!_

Again, the ensemble sang:

 

_No one mourns the wicked!_

Karma sang again:

 

_Good news!_

Nearing the end of the song, the ensemble put in a big effort:

 

_No one mourns…_

_The wicked!_

_Wicked!_

_Wicked!_

And the song ended with a bang. Everyone immediately broke into cheers and clapping; a few even sat down on the stage there and then. Amy couldn’t blame them; it had been a monumental effort. Karma was panting slightly from the look of it; the rise and fall of her chest bringing a blush to Amy’s cheeks. She looked away quickly.

 

“After all that, I think we’ll rehearse a song that doesn’t require any of you next,” Miss Cooke said, beaming. It was still rough, but the teacher looked extremely happy, “Amy, Tom, can we have you here to sing “Something Bad” please?”

 

Amy rose nervously from her seat, glancing at the boy playing Doctor Dillamond, Tom (she knew there was a Tom in this cast somewhere). They stepped up onto the stage, and Miss Cooke asked them if they were confident with this song. They both nodded yes; the song was short and relatively simple, especially compared to the last song performed.

 

The music started, and Tom, playing the Goat he was, sang:

 

_I’ve heard of an ox, a professor from Quox,_

_No longer permitted to teach._

_Who has lost all powers of speech!_

_And an owl in Munchkin Rock, a vicar with a thriving flock,_

_Forbidden to preach._

_Now he can only screech!_

_Only rumors, but still, enough to give pause_

_To anyone with paws._

_Something bad is happening in Oz._

Amy knew her line was next, so she took a breath and sang the short line:

 

_Something bad, happening in Oz?_

Tom lowered his voice slightly, while still making it audible:

 

_Under the surface,_

_Behind the scenes._

_Something baaahhh…_

He broke off as the goat’s bleat escaped him without permission.

 

“Sorry,” he said, “bad,”

 

For now, they skipped most of the dialogue, and cut to the line before the next sung section.

 

“If something bad is happening to the Animals then someone has to tell the Wizard. That’s why we have a Wizard!” Amy pleaded, then sang:

 

_So nothing bad,_

Tom joined in:

 

_Nothing all that bad,_

Amy stopped, and let Tom sing his line:

 

_Nothing truly baaahhh…_

“Sorry, bad,” Tom frowned. There was a moment’s pause, before Amy, concerned, sang:

 

_It couldn’t happen here,_

_In Oz…_

…..

 

After the rehearsal, Amy was just picking up her bag when someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around, and just about managed to hold in her surprised squeak when she saw Karma’s face smiling brightly at her.

 

“Great job today,” Karma said, and Amy – not for the first time – cursed her easy blush.

 

“You too, those notes were incredible,” she replied, and Karma’s smile widened. Amy stood there awkwardly for a moment before Karma glanced down and faltered.

 

“I was thinking, do you want to come over and… maybe rehearse some of our songs?” Karma was actually nervous. Amy couldn’t quite believe Karma was inviting her to her house. Karma shifted uncomfortably, and Amy suddenly realised she hadn’t answered.

 

“Sorry, you don’t have to… I just thought we should get to know each other a bit better since we’re, um, co-stars and all. I mean, I know every single song, but there’s always room for improvement, right?” Karma murmured, and Amy forced her brain to come up with actual words.

 

“I’d love to,” Amy said quickly, before she could backtrack or say something else. Karma’s face lit up, and she grabbed Amy’s phone from her hip pocket. Stunned, Amy wasn’t sure what was happening until Karma handed her phone back and she saw a new contact under “Glinda”.

 

“I’ll text you my address. Do you want to come over around six tomorrow after school and we’ll run some lines, and go through the songs?” Karma asked, “I’ll make some dinner.”

Amy nodded mutely, allowing herself a smile.

“Sounds cool,” she forced herself to remain calm.

Karma smiled again, then looked at her watch.

“Crap,” she said, “I’ve got to pick my brother up from the train station. See you tomorrow?” she said, already turning to go.

“Yeah, definitely,” Amy said, and Karma waved at her on her way out.

Amy let out a rush of air in a huge breath, not daring to believe what had just occurred. She’d got Karma’s number, and an invite to dinner and rehearsal at her house. Even though they were a few weeks into rehearsals, they hadn’t run much together; Miss Cooke had wanted to focus mainly on the ensemble. Soon enough, though, there would be some special rehearsals just for the principles, running in addition to the whole cast ones.

“Well, well, well,” Shane walked up to her, smugness etched onto his face, “I don’t know how you do it, Raudenfeld.”

“Shut up,” Amy grinned, “It’s just running lines. Besides, I’m pretty sure she’s straight.”

“Unconfirmed,” Shane said, furrowing his brow, “my gaydar still hasn’t made up my mind about her.”

Amy rolled her eyes, trying her best not to get her hopes up, “Yeah right. Come on, am I driving you home or not?”

Shane raised an eyebrow and smirked, but said nothing.

…..

After singing through “What Is This Feeling?”, “Defying Gravity” and “For Good”, and running through a few scenes, Amy was even more blown away by Karma’s voice and acting ability; how she effortlessly slid into becoming Glinda, then as soon as the scene was over she’d just be Karma again. And somewhere in the middle of that, Amy’s nerves had nearly disappeared, replaced instead by a flutter of excitement not unlike when she was performing. They’d talked and messed around for a bit, watching YouTube videos of various Elphabas and Glindas, until Karma remembered she’d left the dinner in the oven too long and shrieked, running into the kitchen.

The lasagne she’d made was unsalvageable. Trying not to cry with laughter, Amy suggested they just get take-out instead. Karma pouted over her failed attempt at cooking, but pulled out a few menus and offered them to Amy.

“There’s a pizza place, a Chinese place, and a chicken place; those are the only good ones really,” she said, “ladies choice.”

“Pizza, for sure,” Amy said, her stomach rumbling audibly. Karma snorted with laughter.

“Pizza it is then!”

They split a large pizza, and laughed about the lasagne until Karma’s parents and brother came home, and Karma – through tears – introduced Amy as ‘a friend from school’.

Amy didn’t stop smiling until she pulled up in her own driveway later that evening.

…..

As Christmas came and went, Amy was growing ever more consumed with the show. She was rehearsing almost every day; if not in an official rehearsal then in an unofficial one with Shane or Karma; often both. Shane would tease her about it constantly, but Amy didn’t care. She was getting to spend quite a lot of time with Karma, and the other girl would always smile at her when they passed in the hallways.

Texting between them had become a lot more common, too. Karma would text her and ask if she wanted to practice a song, or if Amy knew what the next lunch would be so she knew whether or not to bring her own food, and even once if she could possibly get a lift to school because her car wouldn’t start. Amy loved it; loved that nine times out of ten she could get through a conversation with Karma without stuttering or stumbling over her words once.

So while it was still a surprise – albeit a small one – that Karma invited her to her New Year’s party, Amy found herself actually looking forward to going.

She and Shane got there a bit late, and Karma had, it seemed, already started drinking – judging by the exaggerated way she greeted them and physically dragged Amy into the house. They went down into her basement, where the main area of the party was, and Amy immediately spotted a small stage equipped with two or three microphones. She raised an eyebrow at Karma, who shrugged.

“I really love to sing, okay?”

“Are you sure karaoke is such a good idea?” Amy asked, noticing a few partygoers already stumbling around, quite a bit drunker than Karma.

Karma made a ‘pssshhh’ sound, “Of course I am.”

After a couple of drinks, Amy was feeling a bit more relaxed; enough so that when Karma gasped and grabbed her hand, squealing about singing something from the show, Amy barely resisted before joining her on the little stage.

“Alright bitches, listen up!” Karma greeted them, “Amy here and I are gonna throw down the gauntlet for y’all,” she drew out the ‘y’al’, “with a little song from, drumroll please… Wicked!”

There was a general whooping, and Karma went to her laptop, scrolled a bit, and then pressed a button. Amy recognised the opening to the song straight away – and was, quite frankly, shocked. She had maybe expected Karma to pick “For Good” or something else they’d already sung.

What she did not expect was to hear the first notes of “As Long As You’re Mine”, Elphaba and Fiyero’s big love song.

She looked at Karma in confusion.

“I’ll sing Fiyero’s part, it’ll be fine,” Karma reassured her, “I know every song, remember?”

Amy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she did neither. Her cue came, and she decided: Fuck it.

She looked anywhere but at Karma, and began to sing:

_Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight._

_I need help believing you’re with me tonight._

_My wildest dreamings could not forsee_

_Lying beside you, with you wanting me._

Growing in confidence, Amy chanced a look at Karma, who was smiling encouragingly at her. Feeling the familiar flutter in her stomach, Amy looked away again, going into the chorus.

 

_And just for this moment,_

_As long as you’re mine,_

_I’ve lost all resistence,_

_And crossed some borderline._

_And if it turns out it’s over too fast,_

_I’ll make every last moment last._

_As long as you’re mine._

Moving the microphone away from her face, Amy exhaled heavily. Her singing didn’t seem impaired, at least. She turned to look at Karma again, who was preparing for her own part. Amy knew she could sing low as well as high, as she’d shown at the end of “For Good”, but she still wasn’t sure how this song was going to go. She also wasn’t sure just how much alcohol Karma had drunk, but she hoped it didn’t make her illiterate.

 

She needn’t have worried. Karma sang beautifully, as always:

 

_Maybe I’m brainless, maybe I’m wise._

_But you’ve got me seeing through different eyes._

_Somehow I’ve fallen under your spell,_

_And somehow I’m feeling it’s up that I fell._

Amy joined in with Karma, both of them looking at the audience, Amy quite determinedly:

 

_Every moment,_

_As long as you’re mine,_

_I’ll wake up my body,_

_And make up for lost time._

Karma sang the next line by herself:

 

_Say there’s no future for us as a pair…_

Again, they both sang together:

 

_I know, I may know,_

_I don’t care!_

Finally, Amy felt confident enough to catch Karma’s eye. She knew all of Fiyero’s harmonies perfectly, and their audience seemed to be enjoying the performance. Approaching the last chorus, Amy dared herself to keep eye contact with her, and maybe it was just in the heat of the moment, but it seemed to Amy like Karma was doing the same thing.

 

_Just for this moment,_

_As long as you’re mine,_

_Come be how you want to,_

_And see how bright we shine!_

_Borrow the moonlight until it is through…_

_And know I’ll be here, holding you…_

_As long as you’re mine._

As they held the last note, Amy could swear she saw something different in Karma’s eyes; something pondering and confused.

 

Before she could do anything about it, the party-goers started clapping. Karma’s eyes snapped away from Amy’s, and whatever had been there was suddenly gone.

 

“Beat that, bitches!” she said, and after shooting a grin over her shoulder, flounced down off the stage and into the crowd. Deciding that another drink wouldn’t be a bad idea, Amy put her microphone down and headed to the drinks table.

 

…..

 

“Five, four, three, two, one… Happy New Year!”

 

There was a general outburst of cheering and celebration, and kissing. Lots of kissing.

 

Slightly disappointed Karma was nowhere to be seen, but knowing it wouldn’t have happened anyway, Amy accepted a small peck from Shane with a smile, both of them quite a bit drunker than they’d been earlier. Amy – being unused to the notion of these parties – was by far the drunkest she’d ever been.

 

Shane, to his credit, had stuck by her all night keeping her safe, and she was so grateful for that. But just after one o’clock she relieved him of his duties, and made her way upstairs to use the bathroom. On her way back, she heard what sounded like quiet sobbing coming from behind one of the bedroom doors.

 

Stopping, Amy gently knocked on the door.

 

“Hello?” she called gently, “Are you okay” She only slurred the words slightly.

 

The person on the other side sniffed loudly. “No,” the voice said.

 

Amy stiffened; the voice belonged to Karma.

 

“Karma?” she asked, “It’s Amy. Can I come in?”

 

There was silence, then a quiet “yes” answered her.

 

Amy opened the door and found Karma sitting on what was presumably her bed, tears streaking her make-up. She walked over to the bed and sat down beside the girl, hesitantly placing a hand on her back.

 

Karma took this as an invitation to turn and collapse, still crying, onto Amy’s shoulder. Unsure what to do, Amy settled on running a hand over her ear, something her dad used to do when she was a little girl, and upset. It seemed to do the trick; Karma stopped sobbing and simply dissolved into hiccups within a few minutes.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Amy asked quietly. Karma shook her head; Amy could feel the movement against the crook of her neck. “Okay.”

 

Eventually Karma composed herself.

 

“Sorry,” she croaked, her voice sore and strained. Then: “I must look god-awful,”

 

Karma managed a small laugh, and Amy shook her head.

 

“No. I mean, your make-up is running and your hair’s a mess, but somehow you still look beautiful,” Amy said. As soon as the words had passed through her lips, she was internally cursing herself and her drunken honesty. Karma looked at her in surprise.

 

“Really?” She asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

 

Amy nodded, and Karma allowed herself to smile properly, grabbing a make-up wipe and cleaning her face of the wayward mascara and tear-streaked foundation. She suddenly looked very tired.

 

“Thank you, Amy,” she said, “most people wouldn’t have dropped it when I didn’t want to talk about it.”

 

Amy shrugged, “It’s none of my business.”

 

Karma smiled sadly at her. Amy made a move to get up, and suddenly a bit of panic seemed to return to Karma.

 

“Stay?” The girl blurted out, and Amy froze. “I was just about to kick everyone out anyway, but I don’t want to be a-alone.”

 

Puzzled, Amy nodded. “Sure,” she said, “I’ll stay.”

 

…..

 

They ended up giggling tiredly under the covers of Karma’s bed twenty minutes later, Amy having told Shane she was staying, and ignoring his raised eyebrows, and Karma having thrown everyone out firmly. Amy had caught sight of Liam Booker as he was leaving, and couldn’t help but feel kind of smug.

 

“You’re so talented, Amy,” Karma slurred; a combination of alcohol in her system and sleep threatening to overcome her, “How did none of us know you could sing until this year?” she paused for a second, remembering: “Oops, last year now.”

 

Amy sighed, “I was never confident enough. Even with this show, I never actually thought I’d get the part.”

 

“Me too,” Karma confessed, “I didn’t think I was going to be Glinda at all.”

 

“What?” Amy was confused, “But you’re awesome and pretty and a really good singer. Of course you were going to get it.” Amy’s slightly flawed reasoning didn’t register in either of their heads.

 

“You really think I’m all those things?” Karma asked, stifling a yawn.

 

“I really do.” Once again, the alcohol in her system only served to make Amy more truthful.

 

After a long pause in which Amy finally allowed her eyes to close, she felt Karma’s weight shift on the mattress. She didn’t think anything of it until she felt soft lips press briefly against her cheekbone. The touch was gone as soon as it came, but Amy’s skin burned fiercely and her eyes opened.

 

When Karma spoke, her voice was as soft as her lips had been.

 

“Happy New Year, Amy.”

 

“Yeah,” Amy managed in a strangled voice, “Happy New Year.”

 

Karma closed her eyes, and was snoring gently within five minutes. Exhausted, Amy followed her into sleep not long after.

 

**Again, I am so so so sorry this chapter was so late, but I hope the length and the fluff kind of made up for it? I decided very early that Liam didn’t deserve to sing “As Long As You’re Mine” with Amy, so Karma got to instead. Hope that was okay with everyone** **J**

**Thank you so much for sticking with me and my unpredictability!**


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